Limiting global warming, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and adapting to fast changing realities are priorities for the majority of states worldwide. Achieving these goals requires changing the way we produce and live: water, food, buildings, transportation, and global trade, among other dimensions. Building resilience while tackling climate change impact is essential for an effective recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Main components of this effort include restructuring a better and more resilient energy sector, abandoning fossil fuel systems, and prioritizing renewable energy, battery technologies, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, and carbon capture. All of these measures are key parts of global green economic recovery programs, e.g. in South Korea, the EU, and Germany. Crises such as COVID-19underscore the vulnerability of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to climate change-driven impacts and crises, which can further erode economic and political stability. Capitalizing on the notable resource potential of the MENA region is key, as will be shown in Chapters2 and 3. Moreover, a shift towards digitalization, reducing transportation usage, and shifting land use planning are key factors to boost resilience for the future.

Engaging in participatory processes with innovative and sustainable agents of change who pursue these policies is critical for a green economic recovery. Youth, a major asset of the MENA region, are poised to be the champions of this process, gathering often-unheard voices within the region. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Regional Climate and Energy Project is continuing its efforts to empower young people from the MENA region to engage in climate and energy policy.